Analysis
Regional review: Way out west
An area that sometimes falls off the radar, Louise Meeson surveys brokers and insurers in Wales and the South West to discover many have been shielded from the worst of the economic crisis.
Power hour: Calling in the experts?
This month's debate, with live interaction from Twitter, ascertains what value MGAs bring to brokers' businesses and the wider market. Are they simply another mouth to feed or the specialists that insurers and brokers need to service a diverse client…
Reportage - training delivery: Digital vs. face to face
Traditionally, training has been about face-to-face contact but there has recently been an increase in online offerings, which claim to provide the same quality of tuition with less cost and increased convenience. Edward Murray looks at the pros and cons…
2010 review: A year of living cautiously
The economy grew, rival political parties unexpectedly started working together and personal lines rates even hardened, although plenty of surprises and setbacks meant that 2010 was far from plain sailing, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
2010 round-up - Professionalism: The year of the professional
This year saw the launch of PB's and Post's Investing in the Profession campaign to promote a new era of professionalism, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
Broker regulation - Viewpoint: Securing the future
John Greenway on how, after 23 years as an MP, he is now turning his attention to helping brokers with the new regulatory regime.
Focus - Broker funding: Finding your way through
With the major banks still cautious about lending, brokers are finding it tough to access funding for growth. Rachel Gordon looks at the options.
News Analysis: Changing course at Aviva
Andrew Tjaardstra discusses Aviva's change in fortunes and direction since the departure of former chief executive Igal Mayer to head up the insurer's North American operations.
News Analysis - Cornwall: After the flood
Emmanuel Kenning asks how the insurance profession has responded to the floods in Cornwall.
News analysis - Coaching: Asking the right questions
Emmanuel Kenning asks if questions rather than answers can help brokers build a successful business.
News Analysis - Ireland bailout: Ireland on the brink as UK exposures rocket
The bond markets continued to punish Ireland as fears of contagion spread in the Eurozone, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
Market Watch - Construction: Building a brighter future
Emmanuel Kenning investigates the impact of the recession on the construction industry and asks sector experts if they are upbeat or downcast in their expectations for 2011.
Technology - 2010 retrospective: Software houses moving forward steadily
This year, most of the key players in technology were pleased with steady progress, keeping close to existing clients in a tough economic environment for brokers, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
News Analysis - Conferences: Prime Minister announces £200m university and enterprise link
This year's Chartered Management Institute and Confederations of Business Industry conferences pulled in the big hitters as business leaders attended to work out how best to plan for the period of austerity ahead.
Technology Viewpoint - Document Processing: Urban myths: the paperless office
Anthony Macciola explodes the notion of the paperless office and lays out what steps insurance brokers can take to handle the ever-increasing amount of paper cluttering their organisations.
SME Aggregators: Digital commercial futures
Edward Murray outlines the difficulties being encountered in establishing a successful aggregator template for small and medium-sized enterprise trade.
Market Watch - Networks: Opening connections
Emmanuel Kenning argues that broker networks are becoming more popular, though managers need to think carefully about the offerings available through them before committing their firms.
News Analysis - PB Management Event: Planning for the recovery
Emmanuel Kenning reports on the key management information on offer to attendees at PB's annual conference.
News round-up: Organisations
The Chartered Insurance Institute has unveiled the New Generation Claims Group, which consists of eight young insurance professionals who will look at how social media can be used to improve customer communications during a claims surge. They will report…
Focus - Management Structures: Building a board
Without a great team in the boardroom, any broker, regardless of size, is missing a trick that can pay long-term dividends for their business, writes David Waller.
Legal - Compensation Claims: Seeing sense on compensation culture
The law regarding risk perception, negligence, responsibility and compensation is about to undergo a massive overhaul, writes Andrew Parker.
News round-up: Business continuity
According to research from the Business Continuity Institute on behalf of the Chartered Insurance Institute, insurance professionals need a more consistent message when promoting the benefits of business continuity plans.
News round-up: Broker acquisitions
Essex-based commercial broker LFC Insurance Group acquired £2.25m gross written premium Chelmsford Insurance Centre.
News Analysis - Spending Review: Coalition cuts deep to stimulate recovery
Emmanuel Kenning finds that brokers are determined to be optimistic in the wake of the Chancellor's £81bn of public sector cuts announced in the Spending Review.